VolkerStevin awarded Clyde Construction Framework by DIO

VolkerStevin has been awarded a flagship 10-year construction framework by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

The Clyde Commercial Framework supports the £1.3bn Clyde programme to ensure that personnel responsible for delivering the UK’s continuous at sea nuclear deterrent are able to live, work and train in safe, state of the art facilities.

VolkerStevin will advise and deliver cost effective construction services and other infrastructure solutions to enable HMNB Clyde to continue to endure in its new role as the Royal Navy’s Single Integrated Operating Base.

In the past teams working on Clyde projects had tried various methods of contracting suppliers with varying degrees of success.

All companies which bid for work on the Clyde programme could meet the core construction requirements of the contract, but through the new process the team was looking for an approach that could help them select not only a good construction company but a good partner.

Selection focused primarily on the company’s relationship with the Clyde team and its ability to work collaboratively. This new approach was put to potential bidders at a range of industry days and all were supportive of this new way of working.

This unique way of choosing suppliers, having established they all had the required technical capability, focused on evaluating their behaviours and on how well they work together with teams at the Clyde.

The Clyde team worked with behavioural experts to set out the criteria for successful companies. This team of experts then observed, scored and helped to evaluate the behaviours of each company as they took part in a series of practical exercises with members of the Clyde project teams. This included a series of interviews and workshops where companies worked together with the Clyde team to develop objectives, discuss how they would approach the work and how they would go about implementing their plans.

Rob Coupe, Managing Director at VolkerStevin, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded a place on the Clyde Commercial Framework. It continues our long association with the DIO in providing key critical infrastructure solutions and we’re looking forward to working in partnership throughout this framework.”

Kier Graham Defence and Morgan Sindall have also been selected for the framework.

The DIO, along with support from a team of procurement specialists including Mott Macdonald and Jacobs, adopted an innovative process to choose the successful suppliers.

Ian Arbuckle, DIO Assistant Head of Commercial Services, said: “We are incredibly pleased to launch our new framework for the Clyde. We have successfully selected three reputable industry partners who have demonstrated a commitment to delivering better value for Defence.”

This innovative approach supports the Modernising Defence Programme and ensures our Armed Forces capabilities and affordability are met. The long-term investment and collaborative approach will provide sustainable social and economic benefits for the local area.

Cdre Mark Gayfer, Naval Base Commander Clyde, said “I am delighted that we have put in place the framework to deliver the right infrastructure to ensure that we are able to continue to provide high quality support to our submarines and also our sailors and their families for the foreseeable future.”

DIO’s Commercial Strategy was launched in 2017 and sets out their vision for future ways of working with suppliers in the soft and hard facilities management, construction and property advisory sectors.

Central to the strategy is the importance of a broad and more diverse supply base which increases value back to the taxpayer by generating wider competition. DIO aims to increase supplier numbers and create a genuinely competitive supply base which offers greater opportunities to Small and Medium sized Enterprises as well as larger suppliers.

The DIO Commercial Strategy sets the direction for future DIO Procurement Plans. The full DIO Commercial Strategy can be found here.